seeds: Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower)

Includes a brochure with instructions on how to sow native seeds.

Stratification:

A=Seed should germinate when sown in a warm location.

Plant information

As Britt’s daughter suggests this write up should just say, “They are purple, they look like cones, and they are flowers”. Spot on.

The ubiquitous purple coneflower. It’s become the poster child for native plants and that’s one of the reasons we carry it even though it’s not quite native to New England (so close though). When you have this lovely plant in your yard, it’s a signal to any walkers-by that you are doing something good…planting native. On top of this, it’s also an ecologically beneficial plant.

Echinacea purpurea is a great plant for any gardener, growing quite happily in most settings. From dry to moist soils this one has low “habitat fidelity”. Meaning, it’s just not very particular. Best in a sunny spot but tolerant of part sun, you'll be rewarded with the dramatic pinkish-purple flowers and always solid foliage.

During the summer months you’ll be supporting a plethora of local pollinators with high quality nectar and pollen. From little bees to large butterflies and everything in between. Leave these seed heads up for the winter birds in your garden. Birds like goldfinch will stop by, perch on the seed heads and grab a snack.

Please note: if you are buying this from another garden center please avoid ‘cultivars’ that change the blooms on these plants. Plant breeders like to make these blooms dense and essentially unable to be accessed by the insects that depend on the blooms for survival. Blue Stem Natives does not sell cultivars for this reason.

These are a favorite snack for rabbits. If you have high rabbit pressure in your yard, plant densely, intersperse with plants they don’t like (like plants in the allium family), grow in pots, or just plant and know you’ll be feeding wildlife.

seeds: Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower)

$4.50

Quantity

packet 100 seeds

stratification code
A

A	Seed should germinate when sown in a warm location.
B	Hot water treatment: Bring water to a boil, remove from heat, pour over seeds, and soak for 24 hours.. Generally this is for seed with a thick seedcoat.
C	(# of days of cold moist stratification) Seeds germinate after a period of cold, moist stratification. Mix seeds with a handful of damp vermiculite or clean sand (moist—but not wet). Place mixture in a sealed plastic bag and store in a refrigerator, NOT the freezer.
D	Sow on the surface of the soil. Generally these seeds are very small.
E	These seeds need a 60-90 day warm, moist period followed by a 60-90 day cold, moist period.
F	These seeds need a 60-90 day cold, moist period followed by a 60-90 day warm, moist period followed by a 2nd cold, 60-90 day moist period.
G	Highest germination rate in cool soil.
H	Seeds need scarification: One way this can be achieved is to rub the seed between two sheets of sand paper. If code "C" is also called for, scarify first.
I	Legume Inoculant (more info next year).
J	Legume seeds (more info next year).
K	Parasitic species which needs a host plant.
L	Plant fresh seed or keep seed moist.
M	Best results when seed sown outdoors in the fall for a natural winter.

October 1: Seeds sales begin and will be available for purchase:

in-person OR

online with in-person pickup OR

online with shipping within New England.

Please choose the delivery method at checkout.

Seeds arrive in a curbside-recyclable padded envelope (no plastic).

Note: New species will become available each day over the first week or two.

Species listed as "local ecotype" are collected ethically from Ecoregion 59 and grown out for sale.

Native Plants
for New England

seeds: Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower)

details

Stratification Codes

Seed Calendar

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seeds: Echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower)